The Dodgers have little choice but to write off Ethier’s increased struggles against lefties last season, blame it on his finger and move forward expecting significantly better results.

But with James Loney also having more troubles last season with lefties than normal (.222, .262, .313), the Dodgers can’t afford to go indefinitely just hoping Ethier simply turns it around.

There are a lot of left-handers in the National League, particularly in the West. Last year the Dodgers had 2,496 plate appearances against right-handers, and 1,958 against left-handers.

Options, of course, are extremely limited. If the Dodgers ever did get to a point where they figured they had to sit Ethier against lefties, there is really nowhere in the dugout to turn.

They already have a left-handed bat in left field with Jay Gibbons, and only recently solved -- at least potentially -- the right-handed half of that dilemma with the signing of Marcus Thames.

The next and only other outfielder currently in reserve is Tony Gwynn Jr., who also bats left-handed. After that, they have to go back to thinking about Casey Blake or Jamey Carroll in the outfield, but you don’t want either one of those infield arms in right field.

Ethier’s slugging percentage has actually gone down every season against left-handers since he was first called up in 2006 (.468, .396, .368, .345, .331), so it’s not like this is a new problem.

Unless right-handed outfielder Jerry Sands is poised to make that impressive leap from double A, it’s a problem Ethier is going to have to conquer.